The Path
by Taio
Summary: Post OOTP, ignoring the events of HBP. Harry finds himself remarkably striken by a previously thought lost ability. Learning new forms of magic, as well connecting with a new world of magical combat.
1. The Path Disclaimer

**Harry Potter**

**and the**

**The Path of Hope**

-Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. This will be my only disclaimer of this fact. Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brother's Pictures.

-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's properties. I am merely using bits and pieces of it to give Harry Potter a life yet untapped.

-I dedicate this piece of art to my friends and family, though few and dead… they still support me, even now.


	2. The Path Prologue

_Why am I sitting here? I should be out there; learning, fighting, training, preparing for my death. No, they can't have that of course, we wouldn't want our prophesized savior knowing what he's doing, I guess. That would be to easy… to simplistically logical for them to follow through with that it would cause them pain not to work out some complicated plan… some undeniably extravagant way of doing something that requires so little action that it would merely take the act of breathing to accomplish._

Harry sighed as he sat there in Dudley's second bedroom, his body planted on the side of his small cot that no longer suited in large lanky body. These were the thoughts that raced through his head as hours passed into days, and days passed into a week; every waking moment filled with these creeping words deep in his consciousness. They gnawed at him, not only his mind… but his very sanity. As his soul bled from sadness and pain so deep, tears were no longer vivid enough to display his deep despair over losing Sirius.

His world didn't falter though, he kept such a tight reign of his sanity that he allowed nothing else to buckle his concentration… to make him glimpse from the windows of his soul. Fear plagued him, for he knew that just a moment of inattentiveness would cause him to slip… and drop his focus, causing his soul to explode into a land of broken mirrors. Never would that happen… never would he allow himself to lose his soul… not yet… not just as he was nearing his role in life. This was his part… he had to get on stage.

What didn't make sense was… why wasn't he preparing for his doom. After the explanation he was given, he had expected more of Albus Dumbeldore in his role as keeper of the dead. For that was what Harry now was… no longer merely alive, but dead for all purposes that mattered. Of course he still took breath, he still drank water, and he of course still contained his soul through his vigilant watch… but he no longer felt, he no longer contained, that spark of empathy all are born with.

"It was all his fault," Harry murmured into his pillow the first day back to Number Four. "If he hadn't hidden the prophecy, if he had only told me that day I came to Hogwarts… if only he didn't lock Sirius away in that home of his birth." He slammed a fist into his pillow as he let out a helpless scream, "He'll pay… I'll make him pay for this pain, for making me lose him… for causing all of this. Oh… he'll pay."

Needless to say being locked away in his room, with no human interaction at all, was making Harry's ability to control his sanity and humanity waver. His door had extra locks installed, as he noticed when he arrived, and was now being served his daily meals through the cat flap in the bottom of the door. Released once in the morning and evening to use the bathroom and then locked back away… left to himself and his world.

He was being watched he noticed, he could see them though they didn't think he could. His eyes pierced the flimsy invisibility cloaks they used and the disillusionment charms… he saw their very souls beneath the layers of skin and tissue. His body shook with such violent emotions when he noticed them taking back up their guard spots, that he had hurled a book across the room with such force it went halfway through a wall. He never heard a peep though, the Dursley's rage and thoughts were locked away behind a veil of fear that Harry's wizard guardians would put an end to them if they dared say a negative thing to him.

The room creaked without life, not a sense of movement graced the hardwood floors… the Dursley's were becoming disturbed by this lack of existence. They knew he was alive; Vernon unlocked the door twice a day and watched him enter the bathroom… Petunia cleaned the dishes… Dudley could hear the whimpers and small screams throughout the night. Though even with all this evidence slapping their bigoted faces… every time saw Harry or passed his room, they felt an overwhelming darkness grabbing at them and sucking their soul's away.

Harry though sat silent, not lifting a finger to do anything aside keep his body alive… it would be needed. It was his duty in life to die for the greater good… it was his duty to fight Voldemort, and die in the process. This was his destiny, his flow in life… everybody was born with a purpose… their destines set at birth. Your future and destiny decided, and your purpose and end predestined in the womb… he was stuck, and he accepted it. He understood why he was lied to, why Dumbeldore did why he did… why Dumbeldore was as gracious as he was… he was protecting Harry from reality… a reality that now he understood. His reality, his future, was death.


	3. The Path Chapter 1

Albus Dumbeldore; Supreme Mugwup of the Wizarding Wizengaot, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Order of Merlin First Class, and Defeater of the Dark Lord Grindewald. This great man had never sat at his desk in the Headmaster's Office of Hogwarts with such sadness as he did this very moment as he read over the weekly report of Harry Potter. Normally he didn't read these reports, but after his last meeting with Harry... he felt an unnatural desire and need to read over this stack of parchment containing the many individual reports from the different guards on rotation to watch over the young man.

The first few reports were nothing special, inked notations about the Dursley's and their odd muggle habits... he skipped over the majority of all the reports and focused on the one's from Moody. The ex-Auror with his magical eye was the only one of the watchmen who really got to see the internal work of the Dursley home... and how Harry truly lived. What he read in the reports from Moody made his blood boil. How Vernon would only allow Harry exit of his room but twice a day, and his small meals through that detestable cat flap. What really saddened Dumbeldore though was the fact Harry, when not being allowed his small exits of his room, did nothing but sit on his bed... and stare off into the bleak nothingness.

There were special notes in all of the reports that caught his eye... demanded attention, like the report itself. He would of shrugged off these repetitive notes, had it not been backed up by Moodys analysis as well. All of them read near the same:

_Once or twice everyday, Harry will come to his window and look out at the lawn. At first, I passed this off as him wanting to see the sun, or longing to be outside and play like a normal child. Then... I look into his eyes, and my entire body froze. He stared down, not at the lawn, but directly at me... how he saw me I'll never know, I was disillusioned under my invisibility cloak, he couldn't have seen me... couldn't have. But aside from that piercing gaze that told me he could see me, his eyes cried such pain I couldn't look at him, I couldn't return his gaze with one of stabability. _

All of the reports had notes like this; some scrawled tidily and neatly like all of their other hand-writing, some messy as if they wanted to write it down and never again remember it. It was the one's which had tear stains splattered on them which forced him to acknowledge their truth. He couldn't ignore this, his responsibility to Harry or the world in which he now served forbade him to. He had handed over everything he knew to Harry, or as much as he could divulge in that small span of time, true... he had much more to tell, but for now it was neither fact nor proven, nothing to bother Harry's life over.

He wondered what to do in this situation, he had taught children for over fifty years now... yet when it came to Harry he felt his judgment and objectives were biased. This would not do, he acknowledged this now. He needed someone who could understand Harry... someone who would not put their interesting ahead of his development. More importantly, he needed someone who knew the situation in it's full context, and was more then capable of healing Harry's wounds. Who... who... who would do the best job? He frowned into his steepled fingers as he looked over scattered parchment on his desk, each defining different orders of business he still needed to tend to. It would wait though, this time... it would come after Harry.

Harry sat on the edge of his bed, his eyes staring into the dark abyss of his room, a swirling landscape filled with a definition of oblique haze. He hadn't spoken but a few words in the past week, most of them coming the first night back, his world still a spiral of inconsistencies. He sat there, his hands clasped lightly in his lap, his back straight, and his eyes forward... waiting for darkness to descend outside so he may go to bed. The sun setting and rising was his only form of time now, though he rarely used it for that use, it was merely a reminder of when to rise and when to fall. It couldn't be helped, that mere thought caused his eyes widen, his pupils dilating, he felt the burning so painful he reached up and took a hold of his eyes as he let out a scream of pain.

He shouldn't have thought that, he knew it... it just helped remind him of his death, his doom, his future. "Figures," he murmured to himself, "the one time I have a brilliant metaphorical thought... it lashes against me in such a way it condemns me to more pain and suffering then I have already." He sighed into his hands as he rubbed his eyes, the continued to burn, an irritating pain that riddled his very nervous system. That's when he heard it, a soft pop followed by a fluttering noise. He didn't bother looking up as he continued to rub his eyes, he knew who it was, "Good evening. Headmaster Dumbeldore." His voice was grating, now spoken above a whisper, it sounded like chalkboards being rubbed together, a frog shoved so far down his throat that he was bound to never be rid of it in his lifetime.

Dumbeldore, for his part, was amazed that he hadn't jumped clean out of his skin as Harry had acknowledged his existence, and in that voice no less. he quivered before steeling himself, watching the boy rub at his eyes furiously, trying to remove something he couldn't begin to understand. "Good evening, Harry. You seem to have something in your eye, would you like me to remove it?" Harry shrugged absently and removed his hands from his eyes, looking up at Dumbeldore for the first time in weeks, but for Dumbeldore... this was the first time he had ever looked into the true Harry Potter.

Harry's eyes were filled with a dissilience and deprivation so strong, it took Dumbeldore all of his occlumency skills to not show an ounce of his fear. He shivered just a tad as he reached into his robes and slowly removed his wand, pacingly taking a few steps towards Harry. As he looked down, Harry looked up, and he couldn't keep his face from forming an 'O' in surprise. Just as soon as he made that face, Harry's face formed into one of suspicion as he stood up to his full height, now staring Dumbeldore directly in the eye. The old man vaguely asked himself when Harry had gotten so tall, but the true question for him now... was what was that in Harry's eye?

It would generally be unnoticed, you had to be directly looking for something off to see the slight deformations in Harry's emerald eyes. Instead of just Harry's normal green iris and pupil, he now had a black circle forming between his pupil and the border of his iris, and two coma like pupils forming on opposite side of the ring. He stared hard, going so far as he drop his wand into his sleeve and taking Harry's face in his hands, and pulled the boy forcibly closer. Harry struggled to get away, grabbing a handful of Dumbeldores robes and pushing the old man away from him, but to no avail.

"Harry... what did you do to your eyes?" Dumbeldore knew for a fact Harry couldn't have done this, it was impossible for the young man to know how to perform that ritual... to get those eyes. What shocked him to his core, was the thought of those _other _eyes. His brief spasm of fore fronted knowledge caused him to loosen his grip, giving Harry the strength to push him back. The boy with a sudden rush of empowerment jumped onto his cot and pulled out his wand, aiming it directly at Dumbeldores heart.

"Who do you think you are!" His voice trembled with anger, rage pouring around him... then his head snapped backwards as if the backlash of his energy had struck him with a physical blow. He couldn't hold himself up as his body went limp, and he began to plummet to the ground.

"_Wingardium Leviosar_," The word's were simply spoken, and with a swish and flick of Dumbeldores wand, Harry's body defied gravity and hovered in it's spot. The aging wizard slowly lowered his form onto the cot. "Harry... I am sorry for that," Dumbeldore spoke softly, walking over to look down at Harry's form, "but I was caught by surprise." He sighed and rubbed his hands together, "Your eyes... they have." He looked around nervously, the subject of these types of eyes hadn't been broached since Dumbeldore was a man of twenty, when the last of that pureblood house died off.

"Just spit it out, sir." Harry's tongue lashed out, cutting into Dumbeldores contemplation of long forgotten knowledge.

Piercing blue met raging emerald green, their wills battled for but a brief moment before Harry looked away, staring back into the darkness of his room. The wizened old wizard shook his head, "Harry... your eyes... they are infected. It could have been, most serious had someone not seen." With that he waved his wand, and muttered an incantation to quick and silent for Harry to hear, and Harry's eyes no longer burned... they no longer held the eye dotons(1).

Harry looked up startled, staring at Dumbeldore with a mixture of fear and realization, "Sir... did, did you get rid of it?" his voice was shaky, scared... filled with need to know he would be alright.

"Yes, Harry. I have..." he paused a moment as he looked into Harry's eyes, such deep despair. "Harry, why are you so worried about a simple eye infection?"

At first Harry said nothing, his eyes looking around as if the answer lay somewhere in the shadow's of his room. Then, after finding nothing, he closed his eyes, "I... I was afraid, sir." He shook for a moment, Dumbeldore reached down to touch his shoulder but Harry scooted away, finally finding the strength to sit up. "I have a destiny to fulfill, if my eyes are damaged. I fear, it will cause me even more trouble to die in the death of Tom Riddle." His voice was so solemn, so determined. Dumbeldore felt his knees give as he feel down, his knees striking the hard wood and the floor as he knelt before Harry.

"You should never think you are going to die Harry. You are stronger then that." Dumbeldore sat there, on his knees in front of Harry... his voice pleading, thrashing forward to try and get the boy to see the error of his words.

Harry shook his head though, the truth was so entrenched in his mind now, he saw the truth Dumbeldore tried to hide, "No... it's ok, sir. I understand now, I see the way things will happen." He turned and looked at the most powerful of wizard's, now down on his knees. "I thank you though... from the bottom of my soul. You may go now sir, I shall see you September 1, when I arrive at Hogwarts for the start of term." With that he swung his feet over the side of his cot and sat there; his hands clasped lightly in his lap, and staring at the wall opposite of him.

"You... you." Dumbeldore stammered for a moment before he stood up, shaking his head wearily. "Harry, I am sorry for what I have done, my sorrow can not be matched." He turned and walked toward the middle of the small bedroom, "I am going to be sending someone to live with you for the month, then you will be moved to a location of your desire. I won't be sending you back to... well, I won't be sending you to Headquarters." He didn't want to remind Harry of Sirius, he tried his hardest to avoid it. "My only question, is who you would like to stay with you. Please, do not say you would like no one here, because whether you wish it or not, someone will be here."

Harry heaved a sigh as he looked down to his hands, "I see them outside... they aren't careful enough with their cloaks." Dumbeldore frowned slightly as his thoughts weaved in his mind, _'Or perhaps Harry, your eyes see to much.' _Harry head raised just as the old man washed away his frown with a look of nonjudgmental feelings, "They are there, why have someone in here? To look out for me? Surely Moody covers that ground well enough with his magical eye. I don't see the point of condemning someone to stand in the dark while I sit here."

White locks shook as Dumbeldores head moved from side to side, "Mr. Moody and the others watch you Harry... they survey the area and make sure that neither you nor your family are harmed by Tom's forces. I want someone here, to care for you... to talk with you... to be with you in a way you do not have. Who would you like to be here?"

"Who?" He looked back down, his eyes wavering, "I... I don't know."

"Perhaps one of your friends? Mr. Weasley? Miss. Granger?" Dumbeldore supplied gently.

He shook his head, "No... Hermione is away on vacation, she need's to spend time with her family. I won't condemn her to waste away with me."

Dumbeldore smiled serenely, "And... Mr. Weasley?"

Harry blushed slightly as he kept his face looking down, "Umm, well... uh. Ron, he's um." He gripped his knees tight, "I believe he's with his family in Romania, with Charlie where he studies dragons."

With a nod Dumbeldore waved his wand, conjuring a chair, and sat down, "Yes, I had forgotten that snippet of information. Hmmm, we do seem to have a conundrum... whoever could we place here."

His eyes were met with Harry's, a look of devout need digging into him, "Sir... would, Remus be available to come here?" His voice had picked up, more energetic, more happy... needful.

Dumbeldores head shook as he looked down, "Remus is not currently available to anyone. He had gone into reclusion... he need's his own amount of time to mourn. He is after all, the last of a trio the likes of which have never been seen since yourself, Mr. Weasley, and Miss. Granger had your expedition into that girl's lavatory to, what was it, Troll hunt?"

Harry, who would normally laugh at the reminder of his first adventure at Hogwarts, could only look down as tears began to stream down his face. Dumbeldore upon seeing this looked up with a sharp concern, about to ask what was the matter when Harry spoke in a voice so depressed, he could feel tears ready to break through his own eyes, "Mourn... he's mourning over Sirius." He couldn't stop it, he didn't want to stop it, his body becoming choked on tears as he hunched back over himself, sobs racking through him as he cried into himself. His body heaved up and down, droplets of tears splashing against the hardwood of his floor. At first, he could do nothing, nothing but sit there and cry as if his entire world had died in front of him... for after all, that was what had happened to him.

It was Dumbeldore who was in shock, in shock to watch a boy he had watched face Voldemort more times then himself and live, break down and crying. A boy who had faced such hardships it made the most sound of men themselves weep as he did now. He steepled his fingers, and then escaping into the world of his mind, he hid the view of Harry from himself, he blocked the noise from his ears, he kept the salty smell from his nose... he knew if he watched this, his hope would blink out like a flame depraved of oxygen.

It lasted for five minutes, both men locked inside worlds of depression so deep, they no longer acknowledged either's existence. Then, as Harry began to come out of his sobbing mess, Dumbeldore lightening his mental defenses. When their eyes met, they both flinched. Their relationship was so damaged, Dumbeldore found it hard to believe Harry could stand being in the same room with him... and now, he had hoped a flood gate of emotion so vast, their relationship no longer mattered. All that mattered now, was their futures.

"Harry... I am going to arrange for Nymphadora to join you here. She is a trained Auror, and very intelligent. As well, she is only a few years old then yourself, allowing for you to communicate with her ways you could never communicate with an elder. She will be training you Harry..." he reached into his robes and pulled out a sealed envelope and handed it to Harry, "This is a signed letter of confirmation by the Minister of Magic, that decrees that the Underage Use of Magic ban be lifted at twelve o'clock tonight."

Harry reached out and took the envelope in his hands, having been told what it does, he stood up and walked over to his desk. With a slow movement he pulled out a lighter from his desk and lit the letter on fire and dropped it on the ground. He looked over at Dumbeldore, "This goes for all people, not just myself, correct?"

Dumbeldore looked down at the envelope as it burned away, the hardwood was so old and thick that it was even hardly burnt, "Yes... all of your friends will be receiving their letters at exactly twelve o'clock tonight."

With a nod Harry moved back over to his bed and sat down, "Good, Hermione will be very happy. She can go ahead and start practicing everything she has read." Dumbeldore smiled as he nodded slightly, waving Harry to continue. "I need to go to Diagon Alley. As well, I need a stock pile of restricted books... books I won't find in any bookstore." To his credit, Dumbeldore looked slightly suspicious, leading Harry to explain himself, "I need to learn things, other's don't. Thing's Voldemort knows, that I need to know how to defend against."

With a satisfied nod Dumbeldore stood up, "Nymphadora will join you tomorrow, sometime in the afternoon. She will have all the things you requested, and at the end of the week you may go to Diagon Alley, it shall be secured by then... the Ministry now taking the proper methods to protect the people."

Harry stood slowly and nodded and shook Dumbeldores hand, "Thank you, sir." With that, Dumbeldore vanished with a soft pop... going away to do things so recluse and demanding Harry didn't even want to question about it. Slowly moving back to his cot; he sat down on the edge, clasped his hands in his lap, and lost himself in the world of darkness still plaguing his mind. He looked to the place Dumbeldore once stood, and his eyes narrowed in hatred, "Thank you… for giving me the tools I will need…" He smiled slightly and then looked down, his eyes closing as he shut himself into the void of his despair.

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1. Doton: The Japanese term for the extra sensory pupils associate with the Sharigan.


	4. The Path Chapter 2

"No." This word was simply spoken, as if it was the easiest thing in the world to say for this situation. It was just a coincidence that following that single-syllable word, there was an array of linguistic action as a flurry of magical incantations was released. With a blazing blue tip, followed by a swishing dip of her wand, Tonk's released the magical buildup that was flooding into her spell, extracting it upon the man before her.

It was remarkable to watch from Dumbeldore's view, a thousand small razor-blades spinning around you like a tornado; the colors were remarkable and the glint off each blade deadly. They circled him in a whirlwind, and with a spiral descent snapped into his body. Tonks watched horrified, she had expected him to pull another great spell out of his prehistoric ass and block her spell, but he hadn't. She stood terrified as the blades split into him, and his body erupted in red as he was ripped to shreds.

It was slow motion to her, she had just killed Albus "I'm old enough to be the inventor of air" Dumbeldore! She nearly toppled over, but was instead blown backwards as the chunks of Dumbeldore's body suddenly exploded in smoke. As she opened her eyes when the wind pressure of the blast settled, she saw the shattered and splintered pieces of a chair scattered around the room.

With a whip of her wand she rolled completely over, only to find Dumbeldore standing overtop of her, cleaning his fingernails with his wand which sported a deadly looking blade from it's tip. "How can you say that, Nymphadora? This is an order, as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, you are obligated to follow through with this mission. Oh, and next time don't bother dipping your wand, the _Vortex Blade Spell _doesn't require it and it only serves to tell me what spell your using."

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her skull as she looked at him, with a furious scream she stood up and walked across the room to her bag and through her wand into it. She began muttering angrily, the worlds low but filled with spite, "Old codger… do whatever… stick him in the face…"

Dumbeldore didn't let up however despite all of this, "Well, Nymphadora? When shall I tell him to expect you?"

She turned with a flurry, her hair exploding out from a dark blue, to a fiery red that seemed to mane around her head as her eyes slitted into red specks. "You can tell him to expect absolutely nothing! I'll kill Death Eaters, I'll watch his house, and I'll run your errands, but I refuse to throw away my life for that nitwit little child!"

Flabbergasted, that was only way for Dumbeldore to describe why he couldn't talk all of a sudden. But with time, all things are solved, and after just a few seconds he recovered enough for vocal action. "Nitwit child? Nymphadora, how can you speak of him in such a way? You above any other should know the pain Harry is going through right now."

Another few seconds, and Tonks was sure she was going to explode steam from her ears. She literally shook with the tempest of hate and fury that was building inside of her, and like a tea kettle she was about to explode. Dumbeldore watched though, cautiously running his legellimen's tentacles across the surface of her mind, trying to scrap up any surface thoughts she was exuding. Her mind however was well guarded, Auror training was not for the weak.

Unable to find the answers he seeked from her mind, he contented himself with giving her a benign smile as he watched her. This silence was not helping the situation from Tonk's point of view, if he had kept talking she could of focused on his words, instead he let silence force her to think about her own thoughts. Stomping her heal into the ground she turned from him and walked to the door, he didn't make any motion to stop her or speak to him.

As her hand settled over the handle to the door, her body stopped, she couldn't move. Her heart beat steady once more, and then slower… and with a rush she felt a stabbing pain in her chest. It was with that pain, that tears swelled to her eyes. She looked over her shoulder at Dumbeldore, who at that moment was rushing towards her with a look of concern.

Her head shook slowly, the tears falling in spattered drops on the floor. Her voice was weak, having lost the rage and excitement of battle from before, "He killed him, he killed Sirius. That stupid twit… that arrogant glory hogging piece of shite. He led Sirius to his death, he drug him through hell, and when he was so close to redemption, knocked him back down."

Dumbeldore's mouth opened slowly, she knew he was going to say something to defend Harry, she knew he would try and grease the situation. With a twist her wand was in her hand and aimed at Dumbeldore, "_Silencio!_" His face blinked back in surprise as he found he was silenced so quickly. "Don't you dare… don't you dare defend him. I'll never forgive him, I'll never let him forget what he's done to me and Remus." With that last sobbing confession, and a sharp crack, Tonks apparated away.

Dumbeldore bowed his head slightly, raising his wand feebly as he silently vanished the silencing charm placed on him. He shook his head sorrowfully as he turned back towards the training room and looked over the damage they had done to it. He couldn't believe Tonk's reaction his request, nor her reaction to the death of Sirius.

His voice was soft, he couldn't force anymore harsh syllables for this day, "Severus."

Out of the shadows in the corner of the room, he watched as they seemed to mold backwards in themselves, and the image of Severus Snape was formed. Snape walked slowly towards Dumbeldore and bowed slightly, "Headmaster. You called for me?"

The aged wizard looked at the shadows curiously, he hadn't felt the tingle of magic associated with shadow jumping. "Were you watching us, Severus?"

Snape didn't blink and inch as he stood straight and looked Dumbeldore in the eye. "You have been in a stir for the past week. Since the death of Black, in fact. I wished to find the reason."

Dumbeldore looked to him, "And have you?"

With a sneer Snape turned bodily away from him, "Why do you obsess over him? Just a worthless child who can't keep his own pets alive! At least Tonk's has an open mind away from the publics golden child to see what I've seen this entire time. He'll kill us all with his actions, his brainless mind-decrepit actions! If he had thought but a little bit more he could of seen the Dark Lords trap, he could of kept the mutt Black alive."

It was strange from Snape, he had never experienced it before, that is… he'd never had Dumbeldore laugh in his face before. The old wizard couldn't help it really, he began laughing so loud and so heavily that he was knocked senseless by it. Softly it died down to a chuckle, Snape turning around a furious look crossing his face as he saw the headmaster's eyes twinkling with cynical humor, "Has that been the relationship the entire time? It has been Harry's responsibility to look over Sirius? I was under the impression that it was the other way around!"

Snape's face contorted in embarrassment, the Headmaster had never talked to him like this before, let alone laughed at him. He shook his head slightly, "All because of Potter. That's the only reason your acting like this, your influenced by Potter."

With a smile Dumbeldore walked to the door and opened it. He looked over his shoulder slowly, "He's not as golden as you'd like, I'm afraid." And with that he left the room closing the door behind him.

With another last sneer, Snape made his way into the shadows once more, disappearing in the darkness of his retreat.

Hermione sat silently on her window seat, a book titled, "_The Do's and Don'ts of Bio-Magic._" She had been reading the book for an hour now and was halfway through the 2 thousand page work, it was quite a task but she was understanding more about the biological factors involved in the expansion and creation of matter in magic. It was quite interesting to her.

With a frustrated sigh she snapped the book shut and looked out the window at the setting sun, "Your beating yourself up, aren't you?"

She knew Harry would be a depressive state, she knew he would withdraw into himself if he was left to his own devices. Setting the book down on the cushions of her seat, she walked across the thick-yarn rug of her floor and settled into her desk where she extracted a piece of parchment and began writing. It was quite unfortunate for Hermione that she focused so much on her writing, she never heard the soft pop just outside her window, nor the ringing of her door bell, nor the answering of her parents, nor even the happy reply of her schools headmaster.

She did however, hear the knocking at her door which drew her up from her letter to see her mother standing there looking at her, "Yes, mum?"

Emma smiled, "You have a visitor, dear. Professor Dumbeldore, your headmaster."

Hermione blinked slightly at that, as if she hadn't heard what her mother just said. And then with a slightly panicked look she jumped out of her chair and raced out of the room. Her mother naturally gave chase, worried something was wrong with her daughter. What she didn't expect to see nor hear, when she turned into the parlor room where he husband and her daughters professor were sitting, was Hermione yelling.

"You barmy old codger! You can't leave him there, you can't trap him up in that hole with those horrid people. He'll go insane, he'll ring himself into a ball so tight he'll be bleeding diamonds by the end of the summer. I swear, if you don't do something about this right now, I'm goin-"

She was hushed silently by her father who recovered from his initial shock of his daughter running into the room and berating a rather nice old man. He moved up beside her and slapped his hand over her mouth, though she was still screaming muffled words, and smiled at Dumbeldore, "My apologies. I don't know what in the world has gotten into her. She's normally so well behaved." He turned to Hermione, his eyes narrowing angrily, "Hermione! What's wrong with you! You don't just run up on people an-"

He, like his daughter, was unexpectingly silenced. However, his silence was not natural, as Dumbeldore illustrated by lowering his wand slowly. "I am sorry Mr. Granger, but I am afraid your daughter has every right in the world to speak to an, what was it? Barmy old codger? In such a way." He smiled as he flicked his wand and they were released from the spell, and he knew it was just a matter of time before she-

"Well! Will you answer me already!" Hermione shouted out at him.

He chuckled again, "That is precisely why I am here, Miss. Granger. I find myself in a predicament. Harry has very few close friends, those that I would normally ask, are out of the country at this moment. The one Order member, aside from Remus Lupin, whom I would trust Harry's care to, has adamantly refused to look after him. I came to see, if perhaps you knew of anyone whom would be able to fill the capacity of taking care of Harry's emotional grief, as well as accompany him in a strict training regimen this summer."

Her face burned bright red as she tried to keep her yells at bay, "Why you! Why didn't you ask me? You know I would go!"

Dan Granger looked over sharply, "Not unsupervised your not!"

Hermione turned to him, settling her hands on her hips, "I will to! He needs me! You don't know what Harry's like when he's left to himself, he'll let his guilt eat him alive. He'll try and push us all away again. Or maybe worse."

Dumbeldore smiled sadly as he looked down, "I am afraid, she is correct. Harry has, already turned into himself. I am afraid, there are very few people who are equipped to handle Harry in the way he will require. And knowing Harry, he will refuse to professional aid."

Emma walked into the parlor finally, standing beside her husband, "You surely aren't asking us to condone our daughter going, and spending the summer with a boy neither of us have formally met?"

He smiled crookedly for a moment and looked up with a twinkle in his eyes, "I'm afraid I am. Not just that, but without any sort of stable guardian that would care about their food, emotional care, or even physical care."

Hermione nodded, "I'll go pack right now." She rushed upstairs but was caught in her fathers strong grip.

Dan looked menacingly, "You run off one more time, and I'll lock your books away for a month." That seemed to deflate her enough to sit down. Having controlled one problem he turns to Dumbeldore, "I won't allow it. If you want the boy taken care of, put him with some stable guardians. My wife and I would even let him stay here, if need be. Or take him to this Headquarters, my daughter tells us about. Surly there are people there who can look after him. Whatever the course, my daughter will not be going there without supervision, and certainly not while those guardians of his are in place." He crossed his arms, his foot was planted.

Dumbeldore looked at Hermione and nodded slightly as he stood up and faced the firm father, "Harry, cannot be removed from his current place of residence. Not only that, his guardians must stay in place. Ancient blood wards are in place here… it is the safest place in the world for him. Dr. Granger… it is as well the safest place in the world for your daughter." Hermione bowed her head, she knew what was coming.

Emma grabbed her husbands shoulder and looked at the old wizard, "What do you mean?"

Dumbeldore's eyes lost their twinkle as he seemed to gain a seriousness that surpassed what any of them had ever seen, "Your daughter, shortly before school was released, went a rather dangerous mission with Harry. They, along with four other students, broke into a highly classified section of the Ministry of Magic, and fell into a trap set by Tom Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort. They fought off his Tom's Death Eaters, this is where Hermione truly acquired the wound upon her body. She is on a list, a short list of people whom are to be slain in the name of a madman's quest for power. Her name I am afraid, might lay right below Harry's."

As he spoke both Dan and Emma's faces contorted from shock, to horror, and settled on unbridled rage. As one it seemed the both screamed, "And where were you when all of this was happening!"

To say he was surprised, was a large understatement. He expected them to immediately fear the safety of their child, his manipulation seemed to have turned around on him. "I'm afraid I was on the run from the Ministry of Magic, as I was unjustly suspect for many crimes that I have been cleared of, and duly redeemed. I arrived minutes into the fight along with a force of men and women who are dedicated to the fighting of Tom's forces. Surely, you can see the danger I speak of. Years ago, even muggles such as yourselves would of known the name Voldemort, of strange sights in the skies. Your child's safety, as well as the safety of Harry are two very important things."

Emma frowned and bit her lip, Dan seemed to be steaming with even more anger. He looked over his shoulder and his eyes pierced Hermione's, she looked down in guilt at having not told her parents the truth. She had lied about the wound, saying it was a backlash from a spell she performed wrong. He frowned tighter, and with a sigh he looked back to Dumbeldore, "When does she leave?"

Please Read and Review. I appreciate every letter.


	5. The Path Chapter 3

-1He sat silently on the edge of his bed as he had the entire time, not a peep was issued from his thin pale lips. As he sat though, the world around him darkened slightly, and he could feel the temperature begin to drop in the room. Without moving his eyes, he could see the shadows in the bare corner of his room expanding outward… thickening. He could see it, he could see the flare of magic in that area, and it was plastered to the back of his mind.

That was something he had noticed as of late, his memory was expanding and incorporating such long forgotten knowledge. Every spell he had ever seen or heard of was writing itself out into the walls of his brain… and knew that if he tried to cast it, he could. His mind was opening to things he had thought lost, things he didn't even know were there, and things he should remembered by now. All those small little details one would normally overlook… he could see them now.

"Potter… you are dead." The sneering voice of his esteemed potions master struck out at him. He had watched the man through his peripheral vision erupt from the shadows that had magically transported him there. As Snape had come closer, he watched tendrils of magic shoot off to places in the room and begin drawing heat away… causing the temperature to drop even more.

As Harry opened his mouth, he could see the fog of his breathe appear, "What can I do for you, Professor Snape?" His voice was so soft… so insecure in the face of the man who had given him years of mental torture.

Snape frowned as he crossed his arms, "I have been given the honor of inspecting your dwelling of any signs that it might have been infiltrated or noted by servants of the Dark Lord." His voice held deep content, it was obvious to Harry that this was far from a honor. Harry's head bowed slowly, and Snape in his pre-emptive anger mistook it for Harry's natural way of ducking out of a problematic position, "You are so incapable of protecting your own mind, we must make sure that you don't run off again and get someone else killed."

Harry didn't respond immediately, his body didn't move… his lips merely cracked a bit. He murmured something, but it was so inaudible that Snape didn't even know he had said something. After a few seconds he spoke louder, "I am afraid… this house is not safe of the things which you seek."

This immediately set Snape's guard on high alert, his wand coming up in a flash as he circled around, prepared to take on a slew of different Death Eaters that had somehow gotten the drop on him. When he saw nothing, he realized what had happened… and frown dug so deep into his lips, he could feel the anger climbing up his chest. He turned slowly, his eyes turning into slits as he prepared himself to see Harry's smiling face at having tricked the older male.

What he found, was not what he expected. Harry was still looking at him, with the same intense serious look. After a moment, he realized he had lost the anger in the face of such an astounding truthfulness. Harry honestly and truthfully believed his home had been penetrated by Death Eater forces.

Snape of course found this ludicrous as he stared pointedly down at him, "What are you babbling about, Potter? There is absolutely nothing wrong here. The wards are in place, and have not been tampered with."

Harry's head shook slightly, his eyes becoming more focused, the room dropped several more degree's in temperature. Snape's eyes shot over to the corner for a moment then back to Harry, he had set the room to a particular temperature… it was going even further down. It was not his work. The young Gryffindor's mouth opened again, hesitantly, then closed. Finally he plucked, what Snape could only assume was courage, from his mind and spoke in a soft yet steeled voice, "I mean sir… that my home has been infiltrated by a Death Eater."

The potion master's face didn't budge this time, years of Occlumency training kept his mental focus as years of dealing with Potter came into his face. He focused… yet he could not see what Potter was talking about . There was nothing here, no one. The wards hadn't been breeched, he knew that before ever coming. "Explain yourself, Potter."

Harry didn't buckle this time, "You sir, are a Death Eater." He spoke so honestly, it couldn't be helped to be interpreted as a joke. Yet the look on his face, did not strike you as one of a joking man.

The Death Eater-spy wouldn't have it though, with a frown he spat out at the child in front of him, "You twisted little boxxen. You will keep your mouth closed about such information. Your inept little mind shouldn't even contain such delicate information. I am surprised the Dark Lord does not already know of my treachery in the face of such frail protection!"

Harry tilted his head, "Does that scare you sir… that, I know such intimate information about you? Your classification as a spy… your past with my fath-" The words were cut off though by Snape screamed out, anger boiling over him.

"Shut your mouth! You will never again speak of these things. This house is secure. You will be getting a visit from the Headmaster in 38 minutes. Be prepared for company." With that, the enraged professor swept around and walked back into his shadows, and without even a second thought closed the gateway down.

Harry didn't smile, merely gave an odd sad look in the direction of the gateway. He could see something on the other side… he could feel Sirius's home there. It pained him to think of that place… to think of his godfather having hated it so much. Soon, he knew, he would be there through the directions of Dumbeldore. Preparation would have to be taken into order if he hoped to concentrate in that place with such memories.

After that thought, he looked back forward, his eyes peeling into the wall in front of him as his mind began reorganizing itself once more without the distraction of Snape's melodramatic outbursts. That would have to be handled sooner rather than later above anything else. Snape would be an invaluable asset in his knowledge base, and he would need someone as experienced as him in other areas of the magical arts.

True to the man's words, 38 minutes from the exact moment the shadow portal closed, there was a shimmering in front of Harry. The young wizard quickly ruled this out as apparation, Dumbledore's previous entrance into his room gave off a completely different show of power then this. It was as Dumbeldore and Hermione appeared, holding a piece of parchment that he identified it as a portkey. He knew how to make those, the imagine of Dumbeldore swiveling his wand… the incantation… he knew how to make a portkey, one of the most advanced translocation enchantments in the known magical world.

Wait… Hermione? He blinked and looked at her. Bushy hair… muggle clothing… chocolate eyes. "Hermione?" his voice croaked out slightly, gravelly from it's lack of use.

Hermione's eyes flickered to him instantly, a dawning spreading through her iris as her pupils dilated to take in his form in the dramatically dark room. He was thin and frail, pale skin exposed, and blood shot eyes showing a lack of sleep. She bit her lip as she remembered what Dumbeldore had told her as they packed up her belongings.

-Flashback-

"Now, Miss. Granger, you must be very sensitive to Harry's needs. He is now in a very dark place, so dark I am afraid he might never come out of it. The death of Sirius is a harmful factor in his life as this junction. It is your duty to help Harry to your greatest extent. I will be placing magical wards after I drop you off, so that yourself and Harry may practice magic with absolutely no ill-effects from the Ministry. I want you to use this summer to your full benefit.

"As well, you won't be moved to headquarters this summer. You will remain at Privet Drive for your ultimate security. Do you think you can handle this Miss. Granger?" Dumbeldore turned from his packing of her books to look at her.

Hermione shook slightly under the weight of this responsibility, but she had very few options if she wanted to see Harry survive this. With a nod she looked at the Headmaster, "Yes, sir. I can, and I will."

-End Flashback-

Harry saw the bags behind her, and her trunk. His eyes narrowed instantly in alert as his hands remained on his lap. He watched Dumbeldore as the old man slowly took out his wand, "Headmaster, what is this?"

The aged wizard didn't speak at once, merely walked over to the corner Snape had come out of and looked at it for a moment. When he did speak, his voice was stemmed with frustration, "Nymphadora is unable at this juncture to meet the needs of the Order. However, Miss. Granger has been gracious enough to lend her services in our needs."

With that, he lifted his wand to the corner and began to draw on the wall with it, each swishing movement leaving a bold red line behind it. Each time he finished some unknown figure to Harry's eyes, until there was a defined set of the red characters going down the corner of the room. Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously as he stood up, "What are you doing? I thought you said this place was already warded? If the wards in place are so strong, why more?" His voice was cutting and stopped the older man in his tracks.

Dumbeldore's eyes focused on the boy in front of him, and noticed for the first time Harry's wand was in his hand. His facial expression did not change, "The runes I am transcribing on your walls, are to expand the room… and to allow you to perform magic undetected here." It was a straightforward and honest answer, and Harry had seemed to realize this as he tucked his wand away and allowed Dumbeldore to continue scribing the runes on the corners of the walls.

As he worked, Hermione moved a little closer to Harry who was watching the professor work his magic around the room. She focused on his face at first, watching how is scrunched up in concentration. Then her focus honed in on those dazzling emerald eyes as they dug into the magic at work. As she watched, she could of sworn she saw something… something deep in his eyes flicker, then it was gone. He turned and looked at her, his eyes graven as if seeing a ghost.

Slowly she moved forward, closing the distance between them as she slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a soft hug. He didn't return it, nor did he stiffen up… he merely accepted it for it's face value as she held him for a moment. She pulled away and looked at him, he looked so small and delicate. She could feel every bone in his body, he was wasting away in front of her even as they looked at each other.

Suddenly they blinked, and as they looked around they found the room considerably larger. Dumbeldore stood silently next to his bed, his head slightly bowed. As they both looked at him, he looked up with a tired smile, "I will leave you both now. There will be no guards, you are both on your own. Miss. Granger… remember what I said." And with that, he was gone with a soft pop.

Harry looked at where he stood, before looking to Hermione. His gaze was like a syringe, stabbing into her and injecting her full of some foreign feeling she had never associated with Harry. Fear. He frowned as he pulled his wand back out, and she couldn't help but take a step away from him. Advancing slowly, she retreated till her back was pressed hard into the wall, his face less then a foot away from her.

"Why are you here, Hermione?" His voice caused goose bumps to run up her spine, spread out along her skin to her very finger tips.

She looked up to him, he was taller then her… only a little, but still. Her mouth moved, but no words came out, she was speechless. His eyes hardened at this as he looked over, each sweep running up and down her length. Suddenly he took a step back and his wand-gripped tightened just a bit, but a bit was all she needed to be scared into action, "Dumbeldore. He came to me, told me you needed help. I have been owling him up till now, telling him you needed someone here… not just those, people down there."

His face was deadpanned as he nodded, "I see." He turned slowly and moved over to his bed where he sat down. Harry's face seemed to slacken, and his eyes unfocused, he seemed to have escaped off into a world that only he could see.

Hermione slowly slid down to the floor, her knees being brought up to her chest as she wrapped her arms around her legs… and she wept.


	6. The Path Chapter 4

Author Notes: Well, I am sorry for the wait everyone. RL-issues, though I will never use my RL-issues as an excuse for waiting. As always, I encourage critizism, good bad... and the ugly. As well, my Japanese isn't hardly as good as I wish it was after years of intense anime watching and hanging out with the japense exchange students. So, I encourage translation corrections. I hardly want to slaughter such a great language.

ON WITH THE SHOW!

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Her form spiraled through the air in a series of mid-air rolls as she came parallel with the ground. With a deft tuck she brought her body into a back flip; planting her feet into the ground, and jumping just in time to miss the sliding kick aimed to knock her back off of her feet. She flew right over her advisory and hit the ground, tumbling over her shoulder and reversing her roll as she came back up on her feet facing the man, both prime for the fight.

His body shoot forward with incredible speed as he launched a series of strikes at his female opponent, striking only air as she dodged t hem. The last blow aimed for her chest, but barely missed it's target as she launched into a back handspring bringing her right foot up like the crack of a whip; caught the man's chin, and launched him up in the air with a shattered jaw.

She was back up on her feet (since when was she off of them?) instantly as his form fell in slow motion to her enhanced eyes. She stood up straight, her hands came up and gestured as if she was holding a wand as he right leg slid backwards with her body as she called out, _**"Aer Amnis!"**_ Her fist came in hard and quick as it slammed into the man's mid-section mid-air, and blasted him forward as lances of air seemed to puncture his body propelling him even further. Unfortunately for the flying man, the walls of the building had different ideas on just how far he could go as he crashed fatally into them.

The woman's smile was visible out of the small opening in her mask, a confident smile as she stood up straight. Her clothing was made for battle, enhanced for her unique abilities and talents. She wore a deep forest green vest overtop of a black long-sleeve shirt. The sleeves of the shirt bunched up, as on her right forearm was her wand holster, and strapped to her left forearm several throwing knives. Her black pants only aided in her concealment of more deadly weapons, her belt holding several potion vials ready for consumption, as well as a few pouches for quick retrieval of items. Her only facial features being exposed were her full black lips, and a pair of deep hazel eyes. A tuft of black hair escaped from the eye portion of her mask, a ponytail of jet black hair behind her head.

Unfortunately, the woman wasn't allowed a victory break of any kind as five kunai flew through the air, aimed for her on all exposed sides. She fell back into a crouch and ripped a kunai off of her left forearm, and brought it up as with quick slashes she knocked four of them away. She then caught the last one, spinning on her heel, she flung the captured dagger into a dark corner and then quickly followed it up with her own. There was a deafening clang, and then a suction noise as a male voice cried out. Out of the shadow an outline formed as a man fell forward slammed into the ground, the kunai stabbing into his chest. He had managed to deflect the first one, but didn't see the second one that quickly followed.

The woman took off instantly; her form flickered and reappeared on a balcony above the room. She ran up the stairway, her body had taken on a speed of its own as she ran straight at an iron-barred door. The door exploded, toothpicks and slivers of metal burst into the air as her form reappeared on the other side. She stopped, and stood to her full height as the fragments rained around her.

Once inside, she noticed three men in business suits, and another three like the ones she faced downstairs She watched as one man, behind a large desk, dug his hands into a safe in the wall, filling a bag with his precious items. One of the guards dove at her, flew over her head, landed in a perfect handstand, and delivered a kick to the back of her head. She stumbled forward as the other appeared in front of her a deep crouch. Her eyes widened as she watched his hands move to form seals. _**"Doton! Se Shuushuku!"**_ He said, as his hands came up and grabbed her shoulders. The ground below her feet exploded up, as the stone snaked around her body.

She let out a cry of pain as the stone constricted tighter. The man grinned as he backed away from her, his partner moving over to his side as they watched the stone squeeze the life from her. Her arms could barley move, but she quickly found a niche of flexibility as she clenched her hands into fists and squeezed as hard as she could. The man smirked, **"Don't bother, pet. That stone won't be broken by you."** He and his friend laughed, unaware of the small cracks she had formed. Then it came, a single shattered crack down the front of her prison.

It was all she needed as her form blinked out and reappeared behind the two men, a kunai held up to each of their throats, **"I'm not your average, woman."** And with a slice, both men fell to the floor gasping their throats as their blood leaked out. Weak gasps for help as they could no longer breathe… their bodies jumped around in spasms of pain as death slowly took them over. She turned away from the scene and looked at the three men in suits, two of them stood paralyzed in corners, the other with his back still to her as he rooted through the safe,** "Gentlemen. I am afraid I have been sent to kill you. Do you have any last requests?"**

The man at the safe stopped and seemed to freeze before he turned around, a pistol in hand as he shouted out, **"Die!"** With that, there was a thunder as he pulled the trigger and released the bullet at the woman. He was too slow. Her hand came up instantly, kunai at the ready and deflected the bullet back at the man; the slug planted between his eyes. Her kunai glowed yellow runes for a moment before they became invisible again. It was magically reinforced.

The woman smiled as she brought up another kunai and walked towards the scared men, **"I am afraid, your lives end here."**

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With a soft pop, the female assassin appeared in a well furnished room. She let out a breathe as she stood up from her kneeling position and set down a bag on the ground, the same bag that the gun wielding businessman had been filling at the safe. Once again the woman found not even after a successful mission was she spared surprise as a soft clapping echoed through the room. She jumped slightly and looked towards a chair in front of the fireplace where the sound originated from.

In the seat sat a quiet looking older man, short white hair brimming from his head and forming a goatee as he set his hands folded in his lap. He wore white robes, trimmed in red. **"It is good to see you returning from your mission. I trust you retained that which you set out to acquire?"**

The woman nodded as she walked over to the man, placed the bag in front of him, and kneeled, **"I acquired all the documents in his safe, as well as some jewels and things. I detected a few powerful magical objects as well in the room and took the liberty of picking them up after checking for tracking charms."** Her tone was stringent, a strict decorum of deep respect.

He smiled, **"Please, take a seat. I have a new mission for you."**

She moved to stand and took a step back into the chair. She sat as she looked at him, **"Now?"** She was met with a nod, and she let out a sigh, **"What is my mission?"**

** "You are going to teach another."** The woman blinked, **"Another? But… Master. I thought I made it clear when I said I would teach no other but my daughter?"**

The man's face softened, **"I know, I know. However, I am hoping you will take special consideration to this boy. He has lost his entire family, as well… he as come into position of something he will never be able to understand without our aid. I am hoping you we can come to an understanding, Jacqueline."**

The woman frowned, **"You mean the boy isn't even a member of our blood heritage?"**

He shook his head, **"He is… he just never knew. His noble heritage has been kept from him… he has been taught nothing of us, nor even knows of our existence. His life, from the intelligence I have had gathered in last week, is riddled in dark despair and treacherous lies. He has recently faced a great death… a death he feels responsible for. Because of this… he has unlocked something within himself. It is now our duty, to pick up the duties we, as a family, are seriously under minded."**

Jacqueline nodded slightly as she crossed her arms, **"What is his name?"**

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Harry's room looked much different when he blinked out of his forced stupor, his eyes slowly grazed along the now brightly lit room he sat in. What had happened while he was away? His hands clenched into the sheets below him… satin? He looked over his shoulder at his bed which was now easily three times as big as it was before. **"What is going on?"** His words held his ignorance of the situation as he heard a soft laughter behind him.

Looking over he saw Hermione there, her wand at hand and laughing, **"You should have seen your face."** His eyes narrowed as he blinked… she was in a doorway, but the door to his room was at the foot of his bed. He turned his head down and saw nothing but a blank black wall. He jumped up and spun around taking in the room. It was lavished in dark colors, heavy blacks and blues… a heavy depressive mood filled the place that had been crafted for a brooding man.

He turned back to Hermione, **"What did you do?"**

She blinked slightly, **"I… expanded the room. Built some walls, and made some other rooms. I thought you might want your own place while I am here. We still have two months together after all."** He tightened up when she said that, his entire body going rigid as he slid back down onto his seat on the side of the bed. It felt different… it felt, comfortable.

Hermione watched him a moment before walking into the room fully and moving over to him. He felt her weight compress the mattress next to him as she sat. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he felt her arms encircle him, as he felt the soft touch of companionship slide over him. **"I was too weak… I was so weak."** His words were barely choked out before he felt his head being pulled into the crook of her neck, his arms encircling her waist as he held her tight to him.

He didn't cry, he couldn't cry anymore. All his tears had bled a way and he had nothing more left to give to his sorrow but his health and sanity. Hermione rubbed his back softly, not saying anything as she felt his body shake, being content to hold him and comfort him. She never saw the shadow in the corner of the room flicker, but he did. Even with his eyes slammed shut, and dry sobs wracking him… he heard the soft sound of the footsteps hitting the ground. The gentle vibration that waved out across the room, it shook his head and caused him to silence into her.  
Hermione gently stroked his back, **"You'll get stronger, Harry. You'll get stronger, more powerful, and you'll protect me. You won't let them hurt me, will you?"**

He sniffled slightly as he looked up at her with his bloodshot eyes, **"Never."** She saw it… she saw his eyes go transparent almost as if a second layer to his eye was washed away, leaving those bright emerald orbs staring at her. Yet she saw it, the second ring… the two tomes circling along the ring around his iris.

The flurry of motions that erupted then, Hermione could never accurately say for sure what had happened. Her eyes being to slow to keep up with the motions, unable to comprehend the complex hand movements and gesture's utilized.

Out of the corner the assault was started. Like a dark specter, the attacker launched itself right at the girl's back with a solid punch; only to watch the raven headed boy throw her aside, and raise his left hand to sweep the punch aside. His movements were slow though… he never saw the attackers use of its propelled momentum to swing her body around and deliver a smashing kick into his ribcage. His body flew across the room, and slammed into the wall his bed was propped against.

Harry let out a cry as he felt several bones break. He didn't let that stop him as he landed on his bed. Rolling along the mattress he landed on his feet in front of the stealthy advisory, **"What do you want?"**

Jacqueline smiled and launched herself at him again with a flurry of blows. Each one was met with a quick jab from his fists to try and soak up all the strength she put out. Her attacks were superior though; her gloves laced in solid titanium threads, and each punch packing enough power to level a small brick wall. She was amazed his fists were taking the crushing blows, but she knew why… his hands were already broken; he couldn't feel a thing.

With an upward bash; she knocked both of his arms high, his eyes widening as he watched her form blink out from in front of him, and reappear in a deep knee-bending crouching in front of him. Her hands moved in hand signs he didn't know as she called out, _**"Katon! Maruchi no Sentou!"**_ She brought her fist back against her hip, and Harry was helpless as he watched the fist come in for his exposed gut. Just before hitting though, the woman's fist split apart into four surrounding fists. He held no doubt that each fist was real as he flew backwards, and slammed into the wall; then blasting through it into the next room.

She shook her head, **"No talent at all."** That wasn't entirely true, but she knew a bit about the kid, she hoped he would have risen more to the challenge. Jacqueline turned to Hermione who sat with her back implanted in the corner, her wand at hand. She laughed, **"Put it down girl, you wouldn't even get the syllables out."** With that she started stalking towards Hermione, a wicked gleam crossing her eyes as she reached to her left arm and whipped out a deadly kunai.

Unfortunately for Jacqueline, she never took another step before the wall next to her exploded; sending plaster and wood plank shrapnel at her. This forced her to jump back to avoid large bits of debris. As she blocked the bothersome bits with her arms, she watched Harry's form run right at her, she couldn't help but scoff at the blunt move, **"Stupid kid."** That was however until his form flickered and reappeared standing below her, his wand jutting up at her and ramming into her stomach as he screamed out, _**"Argentum Telum!"**_

Her eyes almost bugged out of her skull as silver sparkles formed at the tip of his wand, a solid silver spear slicing through her gut and out of her back. She screamed in pain as the spears butt formed a huge plate and forced her to be carried along with its path, stabbing her into a wall.  
Harry huffed with breathe as he suddenly felt pain lance through his hands, forcing him to drop his wand. His eyes turned up to the woman and stared at her as she hung limply on the wall. Her gaze was stuck to him with a sheer look of amazement. His eyes burned with anger as he hobbled closer to her, their gaze never breaking.

After what seemed hours, his lips finally cracked open,** "Who are you?"**

Jacqueline smirked as and flicked her wrist, her wand appearing and aimed at the spear, _**"Finite Incantantum."**_ The spear dissolved into sparkles and she fell to her feet, a poised look aimed at Harry, **"My name is Jacqueline… your new teacher."**


End file.
